


The Sensible Ones

by LittleMissGriff



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-20
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-13 20:58:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/141665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissGriff/pseuds/LittleMissGriff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after 'Lady Knight'. Back from assignment, Keladry of Mindelan is faced with an inconvenient problem. For better or worse, the Lioness has opinions on the matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sensible Ones

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Carmilla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmilla/gifts).



> I want to thank the lovely girls over at www.thekingsown.org who helped baby me along with my first fic in Tortall!
> 
> If you want to read excellent fics by other authors, please swing by!

Keladry rubbed flakes of sweat out of her hair and fought a scowl. It wasn't that she minded being courted, her suitor was very sweet and a perfectly practical romantic. The problem came in the mystery. She didn't much like the idea of leading on a man she couldn't dissuade. An expensive packet of bird seed, a rose, and a simple pair of silver earrings, were not enough to convince Kel to – well, she wasn't entirely sure.

She scowled. For Mithros sake, romance was confusing.

Kel set the rose on the table and reminded herself to have Toby trim the end and find it some water. The bird seed was closed tightly and tucked next to the sparrow's usual fare, and the earrings -

Well, they really were pretty.

Wearing them would be encouragement, but ignoring his gift would be rude. Besides, Kel still didn't know who she was dealing with. Maybe a little encouragement was exactly what he needed to show himself.

Still torn, Kel fiddled with the delicately woven flowers twisted in fine edged leaves and chewed her lip thoughtfully. She planned to wear the soft blue dress Lalasa had given her last Midwinter. Kel supposed she could make a sound argument that the earrings simply matched her dress. There were leaves embroidered on the sleeves. Plants matched, didn't they?

Kel was painfully aware she was being ridiculous.

-

By the time Keladry reached the training yards, she'd realized she had no idea where she was going. This always happened when she returned to Corus. She wasn't lost; living in the castle for eight years made sure she could stumble anywhere half asleep. She just didn't have anywhere to be. Leaning against the training yard fence, Kel watched the other knights train.

She waved at a familiar face, smiling as Merric paused to wave back and was soundly trounced by his opponent, a thin blond fellow several years their senior. Wincing sympathetically, Kel figured it was a good lesson for him to learn.

“Aren't you done up,” a warm woman's voice drawled lazily, coming up along side her. “Is the Lady Knight waiting for someone special?”

“Lioness,” Kel blushed, smiling awkwardly.

“Magekiller,” Alanna quirked, leaning back against the fence. “I didn't realize Queenscove's ridiculous cousin was back.”

“He's not,” and that was the twitch of it, really. Kel and Domitan had an understanding. An unspoken, mutually agreement for the Goddess knew what. Kel wasn't looking to change that, but it was still hard to know where she stood, particularly with someone else showing interest. “I'm not waiting for anyone. Merely at a loss.”

With a snort, the Lioness wiped her forehead with her sleeve and shook her head, “I imagine there are worse things than looking pretty when you haven't got a thing to do. I might give it a try, some time. I'm sure the look on Jonathan's face would make the suffering worthwhile.”

That made Kel's awkward smile turn into a grin. The Lioness was known for being rough around the edges, it was true, but Kel had seen her circle the court parties in ribbons and pearls before. Alanna might not care for the company, but the Lioness didn't mind being pretty. Of course, that was a secret Kel wasn't going to tell. It would ruin the surprise.

“I'm sure the monarchy would appreciate that,” Kel nodded sympathetically, moueing in a properly docile fashion.

“Oh, you are dangerous,” Alanna accused, slumping back with a roll of her shoulders and letting her head hang limp. “I almost believed that. Let people forget you can throw Raoul off a horse like a sack of rotten potatoes and you might be a proper lady yet.”

She shrugged loosely, stretching up with an appreciative groan as the lines of her spine popped. Humming happily, Alanna shook the sweat out of her hair and grinned wickedly, “So, are you going to tell me?”

Confused, Kel blinked.

“I married the nosiest busybody in the kingdom, Mindelan,” she chided with dramatic seriousness, “If I go home tonight and tell him the most sensible girl in the castle is mooning away on the fence posts and I don't have a reason why, I'll be kicked out of bed for certain.”

As much as Kel enjoyed Alanna's company, she was starting to realize it was probably time to find something to do; something far away. Something painful boring.

She hadn't realized her panic was obvious until Alanna started laughing, “Don't hurt yourself!” Alanna exclaimed, “It's not an interrogation.”

Blushing brightly, Kel pulled at her sleeve in embarrassment. Mithro's sake, she chided herself, what harm could it do? It wasn't like she knew heads from tails as it were on the subject, “I have a suitor.”

“So you are waiting for someone.”

“No,” Kel huffed. “It's a secret suitor.”

Alanna was thoughtful for a long moment before cutting, “That's damn inconvenient, isn't it?”

Kel hadn't realized what a relief hearing someone else say that would be. Letting out her frustration in one low sigh, she grumbled, “I don't know if I even like him. I can't tell him to stop sending gifts or tell him I've got -” Got what? An unspoken agreement with a member of the King's own she hadn't seen since last season? “Men are unreasonably confusing.”

“You haven't the half of it, Lass,” Alanna commiserated. “Just wait until one gets it in his head to marry you. They're like a dog with a bone.” She shook her head, “So this,” Alanna waved at Kel's dress, “is an invitation?”

“I haven't the slightest idea,” Kel groused sulkily. “It seemed appropriate this morning.”

Alanna chuckled, “It's hardly the worst thing you could have done. What all has this mysterious suitor given you?”

Kel recounted the bird seed and numerous floral arrangements, then she winced, “Poetry.”

“Oh spare the Gods, he didn't,” the Lioness groaned sympathetically. “Did he draw pictures?”

“No,” Kel admitted thankfully, “and I think he at least had the good taste to quote an actual poet instead of taking it on himself.” She clearly remembered Neal's Ode to Daine's eyebrows.

“Blessings for small mercies,” Alanna muttered, pulling at a loose thread on her cuff. “That's positively vile.”

“I think it was meant to be sweet,” Kel smiled and Alanna's pained grimace.

“Don't be fooled,” Alanna growled, “he's hoping to drive you to madness.”

“The earrings were nice,” Kel was forced to admit, reaching up to toy with the fall of silver.

Alanna smirked, “I see, so not all of his gifts were so unwelcome.”

“I never said his gift were unappreciated,” Kel countered, “I just feel odd accepting gifts without knowing a man's intentions.”

Nodding, the Lioness's smirk grew into cheshire grin, “Well, I can't help you with that, but might I say those are a lovely interpretation of the Hollyrose family crest?”

Kel stared.

Alanna grinned.

Across the field, sword clattered and Merric yelped.

“For what it's worth,” Alanna stood, brushing the dirt off her knees, “I have on good authority he doesn't expect anything from you. Poor boy's got it in his head there's some Sergeant with your heart on his coat tails, which is ridiculous,” Alanna pinned her with a purple stare and Kel huffed, glaring back, “Particularly when I have on even better authority that red heads are more fun.”

There was another series of painful clangs across the training court, but this time, Merric was grinning brightly and offering his opponent a hand up.

Nibbling her lip thoughtfully, Kel fought painfully with the memory of Cleon until she realized it was meaningless. Cleon was a long time ago and he wasn't a part of things, now. Letting adolescent bruises make her choices was a foolish thing to do. Finally, she admitted, “I like red heads.”

“Of course you do,” Alanna said brightly, “the sensible ones always do.”


End file.
